4001S or modded 4000?

[cheyenne]

Being discussed over at talkbass. What do you think?

https://reverb.com/uk/item/64842679-ric ... 1974-model

[bassduke49]

It looks to be an original "4001S" - in the "set neck" days, the single-pickup 4000 and the 4001S had the same chassis. Everything was the same except for the routing for the "neck" pickup and the additional controls. It is possible that a chassis with the additional routing could be finished as a single-pickup 4000 if needed to fill an order. More in the book about what these models were called.

[jps]

I believe the question at hand is whether this particular bass was factory or the +1 pickup was added/installed by an individual (not the factory).

[Dirk]

Funny to see folks with no clue or knowledge coming up with answers over there on TB.

Looks like legit but modded 4000, notice the poor neck pup alignment, also pickguard cutout looks home done.
Also not forstner routed pickup, which for that year would be unusual.

And of course I could be wrong, also they are certainly not giving it away at that price.

[teeder]

The finish patina in the neck pocket looks the same as the rest of the body, including the control pocket.
I had an 4003s from 1986 that had the neck pu nearly that out-of-line.
The "1" in the hand written 4001 almost looks added with a slight hint of "0" underneath it. As if it were erased.

A 4000 that was converted at the factory before it went out the door, perhaps?

[cheyenne]

I offered my 2 cents, and things started to get a little rough. I was just pointing out the same thing that Dirk mentioned here. That's the problem with that forum, some folks don't like a difference in opinion.

[teeder]

That's why I dropped my membership from there a few years ago.

[DavyR]

I have a 1971 neck thru body natural 4000 and the area for the neck pickup was factory routed out...

[cheyenne]

'71? Nice. Any chance of a pic?

[doctorwho]

My former 1975 4001S WHT WT was original from the factory (bought from original owner), and the routing is different from the one for sale on Reverb by a long shot.

Note how the factory pickup rout is "stepped"

My conclusion is that the one on Reverb is a 4000 that has been modified to a 4001S.

[squirebass]

This one screams modded 4000 to me, what Dirk said. One of the fundamental things I like about Rick basses is the resonance of the neck thru body, but the way this one is priced indicates that they consider the set neck a feature, not a bug.

[lumgimfong]

I don;t know nuttin about nuttin but am I seeing a 74 and a 78 year pots? So that means the original electronics were modded? So maybe the neck pup was added in 78?

Like I said I am in no position to make any statements about this bass but it would scare me off as a buyer because
that swarthy maple (stripped original finish?) doesn't look up to Ric factory snuff and the crooked serial number, crooked pickup, non-drill route, bogus looking finish on neck route and fingerboard (in the detail pic), makes me think:
1)a fake
2) a real bass made on a monday but with with a later owner's monday neck pup and electronics mod
3) a real bass with a monday factory build

[Happyface]

This one screams modded 4000 to me, what Dirk said. One of the fundamental things I like about Rick basses is the resonance of the neck thru body, but the way this one is priced indicates that they consider the set neck a feature, not a bug.

Having had to deal with some issues with body-thru necks, I was delighted to find a set-neck 4000 recently. The same "once-burnned" lesson explains my preference for Steinberger XP basses over the more-valued XL line.

[lumgimfong]

What's the benefit to a bolt on for a Ric?
I can see that for a Fender, where replacement necks can be had readily.
But where do you get a replacement neck for a bolt on Ric and not break the bank?

[teeder]

I don't think anyone is talking about Rick's with a bolt on neck.

The benefit of a bolt on is incase there is a problem with the neck, it's much easier to deal with.
Even a set-neck could be dealt with easier than a neck-through.